IS YOUR ROOF MADE OF GENUINE TILCOR TILES? HERE'S HOW TO SPOT A FAKE!

With so many tile choices on the market, it’s a big enough decision to select the right tiles - the last thing you want is the added complication of buying tiles that aren’t what they say they are. Unfortunately, there are a lot of tiles on the market in the Middle East and Africa, claiming to be made by Tilcor when in fact, they’re not – they’re fakes. Essentially, they’re substandard pressed metal tiles, misleadingly branded and it’s important that you know the difference.

In this article, we will show you what to look for in a genuine Tilcor tile, so you know you are buying the genuine, tested, proven article.

Talk to us about using Tilcor roofing profiles - we’d love to hear from you.

HOW TO SPOT A FAKE

To ensure that you are using genuine Tilcor tiles, there are signs to look for to tell the real thing from the fake.

1) Look at the back of the tile. A genuine Tilcor tile is printed with the Tilcor logo, batch number, date, and CE mark including words such as “Zincalume steel made by NZ Steel, Made in New Zealand.”

2) Check that the steel is coated with ZINCALUME®, which combines the corrosion protection of aluminium, with the sacrificial protection of zinc, providing the advantage of both metals.

As a result, ZINCALUME® has a significantly longer service life than a galvanised steel product that only uses zinc.

3) A genuine Tilcor product has 7 coating layers. Check this technical drawing of a genuine Tilcor tile to compare with your tile. If it doesn’t match you’ll know you’re dealing with a fake.

4) Check the stone granules. Natural New Zealand stone granules are the foundation for long term durability and stability for colour retention on Tilcor textured roofs. Ceramic coated natural stone granules offer brighter colours, and still provide outstanding weathering results, proven over the past 25 years. The Tilcor stone granules are bright in colour and come in a range of different shapes and sizes.

5) Further way to identify if it is a genuine Tilcor tile is through a couple of simple tests.

WET SCRAP TEST

You would use this test to prove the quality of the surface coating when it’s subjected to extreme rain and wet conditions.

METHOD

• Submerge your tile in water for 2 hours
• Take the tile out of the water and place on a bench
• Scrape the tile surface with a blunt screwdriver
• With a genuine tile this may result in a very slight loss of stone but not paint.

COLD BEND TEST

You would use this test to prove the quality of the surface coating when it’s subjected to extremely cold conditions.

METHOD

• Place the sample tile in a freezer overnight
• Remove the tile and bend it back on itself
• Rub the surface of the tile along the fresh bend
• With a genuine Tilcor tile the result can be a very slight loss of stone but certainly not a complete loss of stone or paint.

HOT SHEAR TEST

You would use this test to prove the quality of the surface coating when it’s subjected to extremely hot conditions. 

METHOD

• Place the tile sample in an oven for an hour at approximately 70 – 80 degrees Celsius
• Then place the tile on a batten and twist the foot while applying slight pressure on the surface of the tile
• With a genuine Tilcor tile the result may be a very slight loss of stone but not a complete loss of stone or paint.

Want to find out more about Tilcor tiles? Contact us today.